302 Report on the American and Canadian Meat Trade. 
foregoing statistics represent, let us for a moment reduce our 
survey of America to the limits of one only of the thirty-seven 
States, and that one not the largest — Kansas. The area of this 
State comprises 52,043,520 acres (or several millions more than 
the whole of the farmed area of the British Islands), and of this 
only 5,656,879 acres were in farms in 1870 ; the rest being prin- 
cipally fine rolling prairie-land, covered with rich native grasses, 
and forming some of the finest natural pastures in the world. 
" The original forest-area of this State was quite small, and 
chiefly confined to the borders of the streams ; on original 
prairies, forest-growth is increasing rapidly from two causes : 
the first is the arrest of prairie-fires by cultivation, which has 
resulted extensively in the spontaneous springing-up on unculti- 
vated portions of a thick growth of young trees, which grow 
with wonderful thrift ; the second cause is, the planting of 
forests, now doubly stimulated by legislative encouragement, 
and by assured success in respect to both growth and profit." * 
At present, however, only 11'2 per cent, of the State is in wood- 
land. The increase of woodland will tend to an increased 
rainfall, which will in turn stimulate the growth of succulent 
grasses, and the effect of this change will be to improve the 
State as a grazing country. Government encouragement is 
everywhere held out for the planting of forests. Many other 
States, such as Colorado, Iowa, Wyoming, Nebraska, Texas, 
New Mexico, &c, might be described similarly ; for each of 
them likewise possesses immense tracts of land, still unoccupied, 
which is said to be admirably adapted to the pursuit of cattle- 
raising and feeding ; and this at a cost such as will enable 
American farmers to push their enterprise profitably, at present 
prices of meat, for generations to come. 
In Kansas, cattle-raising is said to be a most lucrative busi- 
ness, the profits on some of the ranches being stated at 60 to 
100 per cent, per annum. Many cattle raised in these Western 
States are drafted off into the Eastern ones, where they are 
fattened for consumption by Eastern populations. For some 
years this has proved in Kansas a most important trade. 
Mr. N. P. Wisborg, of Odense, Allen County, Kansas, wrote 
to me under date April 16, 1877, as follows : — 
" Our grass is abundant and unsurpassed for fattening, and costs nothing 
(as it is not cultivated or occupied), and we have pure running streams of 
water. The cattle come up in October beautiful animals, and here again they 
are stall-fed, receiving all the com (maize) they will eat. We select a spot, 
with water and wood adjacent, build feed-racks and troughs, and haul hay and 
corn with teams to the racks, &c. We get our hay as we get grass, for 
nothing, and whatever the cost is, is the work. Of course we have good ma- 
* Statistics of Forestry. Department of Agriculture. Keport, 1875. 
